Gary returns after a day of work at his shop. Jihyo looks up excitedly. She had been alone, all day, for the past few days. Gary hadn’t let her leave the house.

“Can I go with you to your shop, please?” she asked, as they were eating dinner.

Gary pauses from eating and looks up.

She hesitated, but finally said, “I have nothing else to do here. I’ve cleaned the house and mended your clothes and…”

Gary’s eyes were overwhelmed with emotions. Sorrow? Guilt? Pity? She couldn’t tell.

“You can’t…” he finally said. “People out there are still talking… if they know that I’m hiding you…” He trailed off, but Jihyo already knew. She was the daughter of a spy… They all despise her. And if they find out that Gary was helping her, then he would be in trouble too.

Tears of indignance welled in her eyes. “My father isn’t a spy!” she exclaimed. Then she recalled how helpless her father looked the other night, like he had already expected everything. “He wouldn’t be, right?” she added weakly. Her tears fell slowly, then she started to sob.

Gary watched on silently. He put his hand on her shoulder.

“Your father is a good man,” he said gently. Jihyo looked at him. He paused, and said, “if he raised a daughter like you, he is a good man.”

Jihyo smiled weakly, slightly assured, but not much.

“Besides, many people saying that it is so doesn’t mean it is so… they are all just speaking mindlessly,” he added.

Jih